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Nov 27, 2012

Disclaimer:
All reviews are the result of my personal opinion from a Christian
stand-point. These reviews are provided for those who share my beliefs
and morals, to help guide what fiction a reader may wish to pick up. For
those who do not share these beliefs, please refrain from hateful
comments. It is due to rude commenting that I must now include this note
prior to all reviews. For more information, visit my purpose behind this blog. Thank you for your understanding.

I find it only appropriate, since my husband and I are
reading a book, watching the movie, reading a book, watching the movie,
that I post a movie review with my book review. Being less experienced
in movie reviews it will be significantly shorter and I'll leave my book
review to explain the content of the story.

The Sorcerer's Stone (book review here) is the first movie of the Harry Potter Series and pulls in the main actors at the appropriate age of eleven. Having very little previous acting experience, the children did an excellent job in the first movie. The adult actors exceed their acting requirements by perfecting their roles to the characters in the books. The movie is positively enchanting with the bell-like music and the first on-screen Quidditch match.

As all movies do, it excludes a few features from the book and changes a few others. This is almost always necessary and I think the director and producer kept the important content in tact. The Quidditch and flying scenes are all a bit "old-fashioned" on the production front, mostly because a lot of computer graphics were not available at the making of the first movie. With a pinch of tolerance, I think the viewer can look past the black-lines and jilted movements of the Quidditch players.

In all the Harry Potter movies Ron Weasley (played by Rupert Grint) has a bit of a mouth on him, mainly with British-style in speaking. The severity of it really depends on your tolerance. I don't notice it much because British "swearing" doesn't really faze me since I'm American. Other than that, the language is clean, there's no romantic interest (other than small hints at possible "crushes"), and the violence level is more of an adventure-style.

Almost all the frightening scenes take place in the dark--going into the forbidden forest, fleeing in the hallways from Filch, discovering a screaming book, and the climactic end of "going through the trap door". These are all adventure based, though the most frightening one for younger viewers may be the moment that Harry and the others go into the forest for detention. They are searching for a wounded unicorn and Harry finds a cloaked creature drinking the unicorn's blood. As the creature looks up, blood drips down its face and it advances toward Harry. Harry escapes and is rescued by an unexpected friend.

The evil wizard, Voldemort, is first introduced in this movie, though we don't see much of him seeing as he's supposedly "dead" (or so they say). It sets the scene for future movies and introduces us to the first vestiges of Harry's never-ending struggle for the defeat of evil. We also meet Dumbledore, a firm image of wisdom and the spokesperson for the power of "love". His character, through the novels and movies, pushes Harry to be greater, to be wiser, to love more, and to pursue what is "right". These are excellent lessons to learn and, though not ever reader will apply them, I found them to greatly impact my young mind when I first picked up the books and watched this movie.

Overall, I think the movie is excellent. From a Christian point of view, I address the issue of magic here. Also, the overall world-view of the movies is certainly not Christian. I don't think it's anti-Christian and I won't step out to slap a label on it. Despite the rumors and arguments regarding magic, witchcraft, and world-view, I think the Harry Potter movies and books are filled with imagination and are brilliantly developed stories. Emerging from my personal tastes, I highly recommend the books and movies to children and adults 10+.

Nadine Brandes is an adventurer, fusing authentic faith with bold imagination. She writes stories about brave living, finding purpose, and other worlds soaked in imagination. Her debut dystopian novel, A Time to Die, released September 2014 fromEnclave Publishing. When Nadine's not taste-testing a new chai or editing fantasy novels, she is out pursuing adventures. She currently lives in Idaho with her husband. You can find out more about Nadine and her books at http://nadinebrandes.com.

Nov 23, 2012

Disclaimer:
All reviews are the result of my personal opinion from a Christian
stand-point. These reviews are provided for those who share my beliefs
and morals, to help guide what fiction a reader may wish to pick up. For
those who do not share these beliefs, please refrain from hateful
comments. It is due to rude commenting that I must now include this note
prior to all reviews. For more information, visit my purpose behind this blog. Thank you for your understanding.

Blurb:For twelve long years, the dread fortress of Azkaban held an infamous prisoner named Sirius Black. Convicted of killing thirteen people with a single curse, he was said to be the heir apparent to the Dark Lord, Voldemort.

Now he has escaped, leaving only two clues as to where he might be headed: Harry Potter's defeat of You-Know-Who was Black's downfall as well. And the Azkaban guards heard Black muttering in his slee, "He's at Hogwarts...he's at Hogwarts."

Harry Potter isn't safe, not even within the walls of his magical school, surrounded by his friends. Because on top of it all, there may well be a traitor in their midst.

New Factors:

In The Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry and his classmates are introduced to many new lessons, magical items, and creatures. The first is a new subject: divination (aka. fortune-telling). It's one of my favorite classes to read about because something funny happens almost every time with the quirky professor whom J. K. Rowling makes out to be an obvious old fraud. I enjoy how the text makes light of fortune-telling and "divination" especially because I don't believe fortune-telling is real or accurate (especially through crystal gazing, tea-leaf reading, or dream interpretation).

Harry is also introduced to creatures called dementors: guards of Azkaban who keep the convicts complacent by sucking the happiness right out of them and forcing them to relive horrible memories. When Harry encounters a dementor we see into the hidden recesses of his memory. We follow his struggle to understand and defeat the weight of his memories.

Plot: *****
The rest of the story converges around the escaped convict, Sirius Black. Harry, believed to be Black's target, pushes through a stressful year of over-protection from teachers, harsh discovery of his past, and daily death predictions. His friends put forth enormous effort to help pull Harry through this dark time and to pursue answers with him. I admire Harry's determination to master his fears in this book. He goes to teachers for help, practices necessary spells, and runs head on into the mayhem instead of fleeing from it.

The readers delve into a new realm of Harry's backstory, particularly revolving around his father and his father's friends (Lupin, Pettigrew, and Black) and enemies (Snape). Their relationships are crucial for understanding and following the rest of the novels. It also leads into a new understanding of Harry's struggle and longing for a connection with his father and a true father-figure. We follow Harry through the turmoil of hope and despair for a better future and real family.

Characters: *****
This book carries a lot of focus around family. Harry is trying to find a father-figure and also has to tackle the acceptance that his parents were murdered. He struggles through the understanding of vengeance, forgiveness, and anger. It's very powerful and touching -- especially when the truth behind everything is revealed.

On a different note, the rule-breaking of the students reaches a new level in this book, especially when Harry goes against what is safe and advised from professors. He puts himself in harm's way for the sake of "not being left out". This is very understandable for thirteen-year-olds and I can see how it is hard for him to stay behind. Consequences inevitably come from his disobedient actions.

Other:
This book has a decent amount of appropriate violence. Most violence is spoken of after the event, for example, the characters talking about an attack or talking about a killing many years ago. The scenes themselves don't enter a lot of violence until the climax at the end where some spells are exchanged, but mostly answers are revealed. A few intense moments where lives are in danger from being soul-sucked or beheaded, nothing graphic is described.

There
are frequent mentions of intoxication, particularly from Hagrid. This
is a common occurrence through the books until he's knocked back to his
senses by some firm words from Dumbledore or Hermione. In this book,
when a class he teaches goes badly he indulges in strong spirits. It's
not encouraged and he cleans up good with some common sense. :)

Spiritual Content: *****
From a Christian stand-point, I address the issue of "magic" here. No spiritual entities are mentioned.

Overall Recommendation:The Prisoner of Azkaban is a very clean and engaging book. It takes the Harry Potter readers to a new level of depth and adventure. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the series (read in order, of course!).

Nadine Brandes is an adventurer, fusing authentic faith with bold imagination. She writes stories about brave living, finding purpose, and other worlds soaked in imagination. Her debut dystopian novel, A Time to Die, released September 2014 fromEnclave Publishing. When Nadine's not taste-testing a new chai or editing fantasy novels, she is out pursuing adventures. She currently lives in Idaho with her husband. You can find out more about Nadine and her books at http://nadinebrandes.com.

Nov 8, 2012

Disclaimer:
All reviews are the result of my personal opinion from a Christian
stand-point. These reviews are provided for those who share my beliefs
and morals, to help guide what fiction a reader may wish to pick up. For
those who do not share these beliefs, please refrain from hateful
comments. It is due to rude commenting that I must now include this note
prior to all reviews. For more information, visit my purpose behind this blog. Thank you for your understanding.

The Dursleys were so mean and hideous that summer that all Harry
Potter wanted was to get back to the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft
and Wizardry. But just as he's packing his bags, Harry receives
a warning from a strange, impish creature named Dobby who says that
if Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts, disaster will strike.

And strike it does. For in Harry's second year at Hogwarts, fresh
torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new
professor, Gilderoy Lockhart, a spirit named Moaning Myrtle who
haunts the girls' bathroom, and the unwanted attentions of Ron Weasley's
younger sister, Ginny.

But each of these seem minor annoyances when the real trouble begins,
and someone — or something — starts turning Hogwarts students to
stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than ever?
Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally told?
Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects...Harry
Potter himself!

Initial Reaction:*****
This has always been my least favorite book of the series, but it's not for lack of content. My dislike is mostly attributed to my personal taste for the book; however, it is filled with a new level of humor than the first one, partially due to a new professor, Gilderoy Lockhart.

The theme of the book has a few darker touches such as being possessed by Voldemort or hearing voices in the walls that are whispering words of terror ("Let me rip, let me tear, let me kill..."). This book touches Harry's fear that he's crazy when the school think he's dangerous. He deals with a lot of peer pressure and dislike. Ron and Hermione are faithful friends who join him in trying to unravel the mystery.

Characters: *****
Harry, Ron's and Hermione's friendships grow deeper and the history of Hogwarts grows thicker. There aren't many issues in this book. It falls on a similar scale to The Sorcerer's Stone. The reader meets Dobby the house elf who is a magical form of "slave" and depicts many aspects of the world of slavery. Along with addressing this issue, the book delves into Voldemort's desire to rid the world of anyone who's not pureblood (all-magical family, no Muggles). This translates into the matter of racism. Rowling does an excellent job of sharing her views of the evils behind slavery and racism in a clear and clean way that still puts it in a new light (and keeps it appropriate for younger readers). She builds values through a fantasy novel. Beautiful.

Other:
All violence in this movie is action violence and it remains at a very appropriate level. Many scenes enter a "darker" or more "tense" feel, such as being in the lair of gigantic spiders, fighting a huge snake, watching classmates get petrified, etc. "Death" is a common theme. Harry, Ron, and Hermione go to a "death day" party for a ghost, they unravel mysteries behind deaths of students in the past, the voice that Harry hears is always wanting to kill, etc. All this death is for the sole purpose of Voldemort once again trying to come back. It paints a very accurate picture of whathe is willing to do to others so he can profit.

Spiritual Content: *****
From a Christian stand-point, I address the issue of "magic" here.
Again, as in the first book, no spiritual entities are mentioned.

Overall Recommendation:
I recommend The Chamber of Secrets to the intended age-group and above. Though it's slightly less enjoyable (to me) than the first book, it's crucial to continue the plot and still lands in the "incredible book" bucket.

Nadine Brandes is an adventurer, fusing authentic faith with bold imagination. She writes stories about brave living, finding purpose, and other worlds soaked in imagination. Her debut dystopian novel, A Time to Die, releases 2014 from Marcher Lord Press, the premier publisher of Christian speculative fiction. When Nadine's not taste-testing a new chai or editing fantasy novels, she is out pursuing adventures. She currently lives in Idaho with her husband. You can find out more about Nadine and her books at http://nadinebrandes.com.

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How would you live if you knew the day you'd die? In a world where everyone has a Clock showing their day of death, Parvin Blackwater tries to find purpose in her last year alive. But will she defy the authorities to find it?